US treasury chief urged Trump not to host ‘Mr Bean on crack’ Zelenskyy, book says

<p>Suggestion that Scott Bessent so described a world leader included in Regime Change, by New York Times reporters</p><p>Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, advised Donald Trump not to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, having called the Ukrainian president a “little fucker”, a “special-needs child” and “Mr Bean on crack”, according to a new book.</p><p>The suggestion that a US cabinet official described a world leader in such terms is included in Regime Change, a blockbusting account of the second Trump administration by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, set to be published worldwide on Tuesday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/20/scott-bessent-volodymyr-zelenskyy-trump">Continue reading...</a>